Day 20, July 15, 2009, Wednesday, Sharshembi: I awoke a little late again this morning. It affects getting any writing done or any reflection. It is one of the difficulties when one is doing home stays. Getting some time alone to write was easier in Bishkek because everybody slept until at least 8 or 9 am and they left me alone. Here in Osh, the family actually keeps normal hours and are up by 7:30 am or by 8 at the latest and wants to feed me, or have a conversation. Marat is watching the part of “I Am Legend,” the [View Full Entry]

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Day 20, July 15, 2009, Wednesday, Sharshembi: I awoke a little late again this morning. It affects getting any writing done or any reflection. It is one of the difficulties when one is doing home stays. Getting some time alone to write was easier in Bishkek because everybody slept until at least 8 or 9 am and they left me alone. Here in Osh, the family actually keeps normal hours and are up by 7:30 am or by 8 at the latest and wants to feed me, or have a conversation. Marat is watching the part of “I Am Legend,” the [View Full Entry]

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Day 19, July 14, 2009, Tuesday, Sheishembi: The day yesterday was interesting, Marat woke me about 6 am as planned and told me that I should have breakfast and we would head out to climb the stairs of the mountain to a Museum in a cave at the top of Soloman's Throne, or Suleman's Throne. The rock is a promontory of jagged mountain that dominates the Osh skyline. It sits more or less in the center of the city. From the observation area about half-way up you can look out over all of the city of Osh. Last year when I [View Full Entry]

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Day 17, July 11, 2009, Saturday, Ishembi: The old “I didn't sleep a wink last night” refrain is running through my brain this morning. For some reason I was able only to get about 2 hours sleep at a time and feel really tired this morning as I begin the day. I finally decided to become active around 7 am, but have been fooling with trying to solve some of the technical issues with the Nokia N95 that Emil sent here with me. I have to tell you that I would rather have one of the other phones I own at [View Full Entry]

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Day 18, July 13, 2009, Monday, Duishombu: The day has begun in Osh with the sound of “Allah Ahkbar” issuing from the minarets of the local mosques. It is was unusual to hear the sound at a little before 5 am this morning, since I have not heard it once in Bishkek or in Lake Issy-Kul. And there was something comforting about hearing the call to prayer in a country that while run by a secular government, is predominately Islamic in its belief structures. The day promises to be one of other surprises and revelations, I am sure. I have been [View Full Entry]

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Day 16, July 10, 2009, Friday, Juma: Yesterday was a good day. We are still in Bishkek, and I am beginning to learn how to get around here a bit. I am starting to know where the turns are coming when we are in a taxi coming home, and when we are headed to Vefa Center. That is actually a bit reassuring, since I don't seem to have the usual senses of North, South, East, and West here. We were able to download the document that Emil had sent rather quickly. And I was able to access my bank accounts on [View Full Entry]

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Day 15, July 9, 2009, Thursday, Beishembi: And it did turn out to be a fairly nice day yesterday after all. Timka and I walked to the nearby park and sat and watched the activity there around 1 p.m. There was not a lot going on at that time, there were couples of young people scattered in various places. A group of three young boys on bicycles riding through on the paths and off the paths. Intimate little tet-a-tet between couples of women. And the sweepers. The park has about 8 paths that lead back out to the streets around it. [View Full Entry]

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Day 14, July 8, 2009, Wednesday, Sharshembi: A little hard to believe that I have been in Kyrgyzstan for two weeks, but the diary does not lie. I awoke early this morning with the rising sun pouring into the room where I sleep. It is on the front of the house on the lower level. And that is apparently the East, though when we pray we face the other direction. All of which runs counter to my native sense of direction. But it is going to be a bright sunshiny day with the attendant heat. Of course, since everyone sleeps late, [View Full Entry]

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Day 12, July 6, 2009, Monday, Duishombu: We are back in Bishkek. I awoke this morning the first time at 5 am, but knew that trying to stay awake would be impossible, so I went back to the bed and slept again until about 8:30 am. Bishkek is warm and sultry this morning, but there is something nice about being back to the familiar. A good shower, consistent hot water, food on demand, and even when you don't want it. Coffee for me and permission to make it myself. We did finally made it to beach sometime after noon yesterday. I [View Full Entry]

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Day 13, July 7, 2009, Tuesday, Sheishembi: Well, today has been interesting in that there was a departure from my usual routine. I woke up around 6 am but remained in a sleepy state until after 8 am. I got up, had coffee, read the Said Nursi Flashes, but did not write in the diary. Part of that is because we had a very slow and quiet day at the house yesterday and did not venture out. Today, there was business to take care of, so when Gulnara went to work, Timka and I went with her. She dropped us at [View Full Entry]

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